Seattle Culture

Must List: Seven Buzzy Summer Things to Do This Week
Jul 17 - Jul 23
Art, block parties, and berries
It’s so hot. My kids haven’t left the inflatable pool and are living on popsicles. If you’re escaping the sun and relaxing in the shade, check out our stories on what not to miss at Seattle Art Fair this year, and how Trailhead Direct can save you from mountain parking stress. Now, seven ways to…

Seattle Art Fair is Back: Here’s What to See
Four not-to-miss happenings during the city’s most creative weekend
Last year, I wrote about Seattle Art Fair’s buzzy uptick in energy and doubled-down commitment to the local creative community. With the 9th edition opening this Thursday, everyone is eager to uncover what awaits at the Lumen Field Event Center — and beyond. “We’re expecting that energy to grow even stronger this year,” says Seattle…

Why I’m Letting a Shuttle Drive Me to the Mountains
Trailhead Direct makes summer hiking easier, greener, and a lot less stressful
I used to think driving to the mountains was just part of the deal. Weekend hikes meant leaving early, hoping to beat the crowds, and then, more often than not, spending half the morning circling a gravel lot because I didn’t leave early enough. And that’s after dealing with narrow mountain roads and the stress…

Playtime on the Pier
Seattle’s long-awaited Pier 58 reopens with a jellyfish tower and sweeping views
Seattle pulled it off. After years of construction, detours, and debate, the city is getting another major piece of its waterfront back. Pier 58 officially reopens Friday, July 25, as part of the 20-acre Waterfront Park transformation. What was once a crumbling concrete deck is now a bright, marine-themed play zone with a 25-foot jellyfish-inspired…

Fave Five: Bright and Breezy
Shakespeare, sunset cruising, and fizzy rice wine
Seattle summer doesn’t need selling. We wait all year for this.The long light, the beaches, the breeze that sneaks in just when you need it. Here are five ways to make the most of it. 1. Watch Shakespeare under the trees GreenStage has been performing free Shakespeare in Seattle parks since 1989. This year’s lineup…

The Pulse: Sun Baked
Subaru drivers and late bloomers
Are you ready? We’re supposed to hit 80 degrees next week. Time to get creative with your fashion choices and cooling devices, Seattle. Also — who’s following the Tour de France? I tore through the Netflix documentary and now I’m all in. Jonas Vingegaard has my whole heart. I hope he pulls through after a…

Must List: Six Fun Things to Do in Seattle This Week
Jul 10 - Jul 16
Seafood, Shakespeare, and a circus chicken
Hey, how’s it going? We’ve got good stuff this week: Susan Lieu is stepping in as interim director at Theatre Off Jackson (a personal hero of mine), and you can hear about the gig in her own words right here. And have you seen the new cloud installation at the Seattle Art Museum? It’s delightful….

Bat Signal Seattle
Bats are out this summer, and so are the community scientists tracking them
By mid-July, most Seattleites have clocked the summer clichés: backyard rosé, panic-buying box fans, and chatting with strangers in the grocery store about how nice it is. But here’s something better: bats. Washington is home to 14 species, 10 of which live in western Washington. They’re tiny, nocturnal insectivores that eat thousands of bugs a…

Why I Said Yes to Leading Theatre Off Jackson
The stage can be an epicenter for social change
There’s no other place in Seattle that has shaped me more as an artist than Theatre Off Jackson (TOJ). It’s a small theatre in the Chinatown International District where I cut my teeth in the craft of performance, selling out shows, and building community. It has fundamentally changed my life, catapulting my arts career as…

Cloudy With a Chance of Joy
A new sky of smiling clouds floats in the Seattle Art Museum’s main lobby
The latest installation at SAM is hard to miss: 40 big, grinning clouds now hover above the Brotman Forum, the museum’s main entrance space. Each one is four feet wide and made of white plastic, designed to look like it’s drifting gently overhead. The piece is called Little Cloud Sky, created by FriendsWithYou, a Los…

Has Sad Boy Summer Arrived?
Seattle’s Johnny Huynh drops a cinematic new music video that’s moody, heartfelt, and rooted close to home
We had Boyz II Men when I was a kid. Then Usher and Justin Timberlake. Now it’s Seattle’s own, Johnny Huynh. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter and recent UW grad has built his music career over the past two years, one viral video at a time. His latest single, “SAY,” was released at the end of June,…

Must List: Six Fun Things to Do This Week
Jul 03 - Jul 09
Mysterious sharks, flirty stormtroopers, and a sky full of fireworks
What are you doing for the 4th? I caught some early fireworks after an AquaSox game on Saturday — so pretty. Not everyone loves them, though. My sister’s dog has to be held like a baby all night. Thinking of those who struggle with the noise, and cheering on anyone braving the Seattle crowds. This…

It’s Official: ACT, Shakespeare Merge to Create Union Arts Center
Inaugural season features five works
More than a year after an exploratory announcement and six months after reaching a deal, it’s official: ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Co. are now one entity. The two Seattle arts organizations announced their first annual 2025/26 season on July 1, the day they officially joined forces. Now known as Union Arts Center, the…
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